Chapter 36
EDEN
“There isno way in hell I’m wearing this.”
Kayla lips shake with the urge to laugh, but she quickly bites down on her lip.
“It’s okay,” I mutter, tugging at the gold tulle skirt. “Go ahead and laugh. I’d be laughing too if I weren’t the one wearing this metallic eyesore.”
“God, thank you.” Kayla bursts out laughing. “What was your mom thinking?” she says when she finally stops laughing and catches her breath.
I fall down on the couch next to her. “I have no freaking idea.”
I came home from class this afternoon to a garment bag on my doorstep. When I opened it and saw it was the hideous gold dress Mom wants me to wear to her and Dad’s anniversary party, I contemplated burning it. Instead I texted her.
Me: I’m not wearing this.
Mom: Anak, please just try it on. You never know what something will look like until you try it on.
Me: Fine.
Mom: Yay! And send pictures please!
Kayla grabs her phone. “She asked for pictures.”
“You think I want to document myself wearing this?”
“Your mom insisted. And hey, maybe if she sees how ridiculous you look in it, she’ll come around.”
I make a huffy noise as I stand up again and pose with my arms at my sides.
Kayla frowns as she points her phone at me. “You look like you’re on death row.”
“In a way I am.” I tug at the sheer gold sleeves. It looks like someone dumped a canister of glitter over this dress. “My spirit died the moment I put this gaudy as hell monstrosity on.”
Kayla chuckles, takes a few photos, and texts them to me. I plop back down on the couch, grab my phone, and text the worst pictures I’ve ever taken to my mom. She replies instantly.
Mom: Oh wow! See? You look so beautiful! Like a princess.
Me: I’m. Not. Wearing. This.
Three gray dots appear on my phone screen, but I don’t wait to read her response. I know she’s going to say I’m out of my mind, it’s so pretty, that I need to wear it, and it’ll just end up in another argument. So I silence the notifications on my phone and set it on the coffee table.
“So what will you actually wear to the party?”
“Probably that black sleeveless cocktail dress I bought a while ago.”
“Oh, that’ll look so pretty on you! Better than this.” She tugs at the skirt. “It looks like an ice dancer’s debutant ball gown or something.”
We both burst out laughing.
“I can’t believe she sent this to you when you already said you didn’t want to wear it.”
I shrug. “I can. She rarely takes no for an answer from me. Neither does my dad. So I end up just ignoring them and doing my own thing. Leads to arguments one hundred percent of the time.” I make a thumbs up.
“I’m sorry, Eden.” Kayla’s tone is soft now.
I shake my head, feeling a weird sort of discouraged. “I know that in the grand scheme of things, it’s silly. It’s an argument about an outfit. But it’s honestly so much more than that. I know my parents love me.” I think back to how panicked they were when I screamed at walking in on Kayla and Brendan half naked together, while on the phone with them. “It’s sad to think that the most recent moment that I felt cared for by them was when they thought I was being attacked. Now it’s back to feeling like an outsider who clashes with them constantly.”
Kayla pulls me into a hug just as there’s a knock on the door. I hop up to answer it, shocked to see Danny standing there. His eyes go wide and he stammers as he does a once-over of my outfit.
“Um, wow.”
“Don’t you dare laugh.”
“It’s just really…sparkly.”
“It’s the gaudiest piece of clothing that’s ever been made.”
The corner of his mouth twitches up.
“Okay, you can laugh.”
He chuckles, and I lean up to kiss him, then let him into the apartment. He says hi to Kayla, who makes room for him on the couch.
“I thought you had class today,” I say as we sit together.
He laces his fingers in mine. “The electricity in my building on campus went out so I had to cancel. Thought I’d stop by and surprise you, see if you wanted to grab some food.”
I smile at him right as my stomach starts to rumble. “Perfect timing. I’m starving.”
“Aww!” Kayla says from the far end of the couch. “I’ll leave you two love birds.”
She hops up from the couch.
“You sure you don’t want to join us?” Danny asks.
“Nah, you two go ahead. I have plans anyway.”
“Where are you off to?” I ask.
“Gonna go see an old friend.” She quirks her eyebrow. That’s code for she’s going to hook up with Brendan.
“Have fun.” I wink at her.
When Kayla leaves, I stand up. “Let me change and then we’ll go.”
Danny stands up next to me, pulling my by the waist against him. “You know, I’m quite qualified in the art of undressing.”
I giggle just as he kisses me. Together we head to my bedroom, and he unzips the back of my dress and slips his hands inside, cupping my breasts from behind. He leans down and dusts a kiss on my shoulder. His hot breath sheets across my skin, making me shiver. I close my eyes and moan at how good his lips, his hands, and his breath feel on my body.
“You know, I’m pretty hungry too,” he growls as he kisses down my back and slides his hand between my legs.
I spin around, my stomach grumbling. He chuckles while looking down at my stomach. “Okay, we need to get some food in you first.”
I press a kiss to his lips and quickly throw on my clothes. We end up at a burrito place a few blocks away. We settle into a booth and dig into our food.
“So what are you getting all dressed up like an empress for?” Danny asks.
“My parents’ anniversary party.”
“Ah, right.”
“It’s this weekend, and my mom is hell-bent on it being this over-the-top, fancy event. She’s making my dad and Cruz wear tuxes.”
“Damn.”
“It’s gonna suck. I mean, I’m happy for them. Thirty years married is wonderful. But god, I’m not looking forward to how stuffy it’s going to be. And all the passive-aggressive comments that will be thrown my way about my tattoo and my nose ring and my job and how disappointing I am.”
I take another bite of my shrimp burrito, focusing on how delicious it tastes to take my mind off how upset I am.
It’s a second before I notice that Danny has stopped eating and is looking at me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize your parents were still like that.”
“What do you mean?”
He hesitates for a second. “I definitely remember them being kind of hard on you when we were kids. You always kind of marched to the beat of your own drum.”
He flashes the softest, sweetest smile. It melts me instantly.
“I definitely did.”
“I remember them getting on your case about the most random stuff. At least it seemed that way to me. Like, when you quit all the sports they made you join in middle school. And when you wanted to wear band t-shirts and sneakers instead of all those designer clothes they bought you.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.”
“Of course I did. I thought you were cool as hell for doing all that.”
“I kind of just assumed you thought I was Cruz’s annoying little sister.”
Danny reaches across the table and scoops my hand in his. “I never thought you were annoying.”
I smile at him while tracing my finger lightly against his palm.
“And your parents are good people, but they have no right to dictate anything about your life, Eden. You’re amazing. If they can’t see that, it’s their problem.”
The firmness in his tone and the intensity of his stare as he speaks to me, turns me breathless. It takes a second before I can speak, I’m so blown away.
“Thank you, Danny.” I clear my throat. “Can you text me that every few minutes the night of the party? It’ll be the moral support I need to make it through,” I joke.
But Danny doesn’t laugh. Instead he’s looking at me with that same focused stare. “Why don’t I just go with you?”
I pause mid-bite. “What?”
“I’ll go with you to the party. As your date.”
“Oh.”
A few seconds pass where I’m quiet. Danny pulls his lips into his mouth, like he’s doubting himself. “Unless you don’t want me to go with you…”
“No, that’s not it at all.” I’m heartened and giddy at the fact that he wants to attend my parents’ anniversary party just to serve as my moral support. “I just…we’d have to be open. About us being together.”
“I know.” He doesn’t even blink.
“You’re okay with that? With my parents knowing that we’re together? With Cruz knowing that we’re together?”
This time he blinks. “It’s daunting to think about, sure. But you’re my girlfriend, Eden. I want to be there for you whenever you need me.”
I swear my heart skids in my chest.
“I just need to talk to Cruz, to let him know about us,” Danny says. “I know he’s not gonna be thrilled, but that’s the best way to do this. Better than ambushing him at his parents’ anniversary party with his little sister on my arm.”
“Good point.” I give his hand another squeeze. “You sure you want to do this? It’s been nice keeping our relationship to ourselves these past couple of months. It’s nice not dealing with anyone’s judgment or expectations, you know?”
He stares at our joined hands. “I know. It is. But we can’t stay secret forever. Not if we see a future together. And I see a future with you, Eden.”
My heart stills completely. “I see a future with you too, Danny.”
Seeing that wide grin split his face has my heart thudding. I lean over the table and plant a kiss on him, in full view of everyone in the restaurant.
He looks dazed by the time I fall back into my seat.
Then he smiles. “Anything is worth doing for that kiss. For you.”
As we finish our meal, I’m a cocktail of giddiness and worry. Danny and I are about to go public to my family about our relationship. This could go well or terribly wrong. And as much I’m trying to stay positive, part of me can’t help but expect the worst.